Natural Syntax: Iconicity and Erosion - Couverture rigide

Haiman, John

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0521266416 ISBN 13 : 9780521266413

Editeur : Cambridge University Press, 1985

Synopsis

The goal of this study is to challenge the monopoly of arbitrariness, which has possibly affected many models of linguistic description and analysis.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

The view that language is in some way 'arbitrary', that there is no formal relationship between a linguistic message and the thought it is meant to convey, is long established and pervasive. The goal of John Haiman's study is to challenge the monopoly of arbitrariness, which he believes has affected in significant ways many models of linguistic description and analysis, notably those proposed by Saussure and more recently by Chomsky and his associates. Linguistic structures, Dr Hainian claims, may be compared to (non-linguistic) diagrams of our thoughts, and deviate from iconicity in many of the same ways and for much the same reasons as do diagrams in general. Arbitrariness develops as a result of the relatively familiar principles of economy, generalization and association. In relation to this thesis, Dr Haiman considers a wide variety of constructions, including conditionals and interrogatives, gapping, causative structures, auxiliaries and reflexives, and provides a wealth of exemplification from different languages that also points to typological differences in respect of iconicity.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Cambridge University Press
• Date d'édition: 1985
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0521266416
• ISBN 13: 9780521266413
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 296
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible